Punch press set-up

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool with a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, wherein the punch press, especially the punching tool, the machine table and the traversing device are set up for replacing the punching tool for a punch product change to retool the punch press to new punch products to be punched.

On the one hand, the invention relates to a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool.

On the other hand, the invention also relates to a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, in which the traversing device comprises a vertical drive for driving the upper tool.

The invention also relates to a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a ram device for carrying the upper tool.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a punching tool setup system.

The invention also relates to a punching tool for punching out punch products such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, for a punch press having a lower tool and an upper tool.

The invention also relates to a method for retrofitting a punch press with a punching tool.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for setting up a punch press.

Moreover, the invention relates to a method for operating a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, in which the punch products are inserted from the operator side into the punch press, especially in a punch operating space, in which the punch products are punched, and in which the punched out punch products are taken out of the punch press.

Moreover, the invention relates to a use of a punch lower tool of a punching tool.

Generic punch presses known from prior art, which are used specifically for punching or punching out automotive components or similar, are generally equipped one time by the factory for the product to be punched out. In other words, this means that these punch presses, in regard to their punching tools, are configured one time in the plant for the respective product, and are then delivered set up in this manner by the plant to the customer. Once this special product reaches the end of a production cycle or the tool is worn out, the punch press is dismantled at the customer's location, transported to the plant and retooled in the plant, repaired or immediately scrapped if the service life of the punch press has generally been reached and repair is no longer worthwhile. One can readily see that such prior art entails major disadvantages. Known punch presses are disadvantageous especially in regard to ever shorter production cycles.

It is the object of the invention to develop especially the generic punch presses known from prior art and to provide improved alternatives, especially to provide more compactly built punch presses.

The object of the invention is achieved by the features of the independent claims. The features of the dependent claims hereby represent advantageous developments.

The object is achieved according to a first aspect of the invention by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, wherein the punch press, especially the punching tool, the machine table and the traversing device are configured to replace the punching tool for a punch product change in order to retool the punch press to new punch products to be punched. This can take place in a few hours for example, by means of which the downtime of the punch press can be decreased significantly.

“On site” in this case means at a place of deployment or operation of the punch press.

In other words, this means that a punching tool change is undertaken on an inherently operationally ready punch press. For example, before and after the punching tool change, the punch press, including programming and software adjustments, is immediately and structurally ready for operation again without changing locations.

To that extent, it is advantageous if the punch press is configured in such a manner that the punching tool can be replaced for an on-site punch product change, so that the punch press can be set up on site for new punch products to be punched.

This means that according to the invention any punching tools can now also be used on or attached to the punch press temporarily, in other words within the meaning of a productive application, and are to that extent replaceable, especially in a non-destructive manner.

Advantageously, such a retooling capability also implies retrofitting, so that a new punch press can only be equipped at its designated deployment location after it is set up with a punching tool matched to a punch product.

Preferably, the present punch press may comprise a set of various punching tools, especially also upper punching tools.

To that extent, an arrangement of one punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, and of one set comprising at least two punching tools for various punch products is advantageous.

A punching tool change within the meaning of the present invention can preferably also occur in an entirely tool-free manner, i.e., without handheld tools or machine tools in particular. A change function, which is automated to the greatest extent possible, is hereby achieved on the present punch press.

It is understood that a punching tool change can alternatively be performed manually or by hand.

Within the meaning of the invention, the expression “punching tool change” describes not only a retooling of the punch press to a different punch product, but beyond that also the removal of a punching tool out of the punch press, such as within the scope of maintenance, servicing or repair work on the punch press. The same also applies in regard to inserting a punching tool, for example for the initial commissioning of the punch press at a usage location or similar.

Within the meaning of the invention, the terms “upper tool” and “lower tool” describe a component unit, which comprises both the actual punch or cutting means, such as blades or dies, sliding elements for punch or cutting means for example, slide drives or similar, as well as the respective carrier body part.

It is hereby possible that the actual punching or cutting means are formed on the one hand by the carrier body part, or on the other hand they may be attached to it in a detachable manner.

Besides the present replaceability of the complete punching tool for setting up the punch press for new punch products, in this way conventional replacements due to wear of punching and cutting means, dies and so on can be undertaken independently of this.

It is hereby also especially helpful that a pivot function for pivoting the punching tool or especially the lower tool must no longer be integrated in the tool itself. Instead, in this case this pivot function is integrated in the punch press itself.

More precisely, the machine table is preferably pivotable about a corresponding pivot axis or horizontal pivot axis.

The actual tool can hereby be built more compactly and is accordingly easier to replace within the meaning of the invention.

To that extent, a correspondingly arranged, pivotable machine table helps to achieve the present changing function or a punching tool setup system in this respect.

Within the meaning of the invention, the term “traversing device” describes a suitable device by means of which especially the upper tool or components or component groups can be moved or displaced by it on the punch press.

For example, such a traversing device may be formed essentially by the actual punch drive or vertical drive of the punch press. Generally, such a traversing device known from prior art has a drive motor, which can be placed between frame side members, such as columns, tie rods or similar.

Additionally or alternatively, for the purpose of the present invention, the traversing device may also be constructed in a manner deviating from a vertical movement direction.

In addition, it has already been pointed out that within the scope of the patent application here, indefinite articles and indefinite number values such as “one . . . ,” “two . . . ” and so on are generally to be understood as minimum figures, in other words as “at least one . . . ,” “at least two . . . ” and so on, unless it emerges from the context or the actual text of a particular passage that only “exactly one . . . ,” “exactly two . . . ” and so on are supposed to be meant there.

At this point, it shall also be mentioned that within the scope of the patent application here, the expression “especially” is always to be understood as this expression introducing an optional, preferred feature. Consequently, the expression is not be understood as “and specifically” and not as “namely.”

According to a second aspect of the invention, the present task is achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, wherein the punch press has a punching tool setup system, by means of which the punch press can be set up for another punching tool.

Preferably, the punching tool setup system comprises at least one quick-change device, by means of which the punching tool can be taken out of the punch press especially on site at the customer's location, and be replaced by another punching tool, wherein the additional punching tool is then used again in the punch press, especially on site at the customer's location.

If the present punch press comprises such a punching tool setup system, it succeeds in a particularly simple manner, for example without having to loosen screw connections with conventional tools or similar, by means of which a punching tool change can be undertaken in the shortest time possible. Advantageously, the downtime of the punch press is hereby reduced, by means of which the productivity is impaired only to a minimal degree.

It is understood that the punch press can be designed for a punching tool change and especially such a punching tool setup system in the most diverse ways. If the punch press or the punching tool setup system is characterized especially by adapter devices or coupling devices, clamping devices, traversing devices or similar, a punching tool change can take place in a particularly simple and thus quick manner, so that punch press downtimes regarding this can be kept to a minimum.

An “adapter device” suitably set up within the meaning of the invention is hereby characterized essentially by adapter parts that are designed to complement each other and are thus connectable to each other, wherein at least one machine adapter part of the adapter parts is arranged on the machine side and at least one tool adapter part is arranged on the punching tool side. For example, such an adapter device may comprise wedge strip elements or similar.

In other words, this means that given a punching tool change, the machine adapter part remains on the punch press and the tool adapter part remains correspondingly on the respective punching tool. If the various punching tools designated to be used on the punch press are equipped with such a tool adapter part in each case, these various punching tools can be used in a relatively simple manner on site and almost arbitrarily on one and the same punch press.

Generally, it hardly matters how these adapter parts are designed individually. The key factor is that the adapter parts are designed to complement each other so that a punching tool can be arranged in a fixed but detachable manner on the punch press.

This applies correspondingly in regard to the term “coupling devices” with corresponding machine-side coupling parts and tool-side coupling parts.

Within the meaning of the invention, the term “clamping device” describes devices with which various punching tools can be clamped in a holder provided for this purpose on the punch press, so that the respective punching tool can be held or clamped in a fixed but detachable manner. In other words, this means that preferably a tool adapter part for example can be temporarily arranged on a complementary machine adapter part, or a tool coupling part can be temporarily arranged on a complementary machine coupling part. It is understood that this clamping device can also be designed in a highly variable manner so that a punching tool can be detachably clamped in relation to a corresponding holder. Just as an example, such a clamping device can have clamping elements that correspond with each other in a form-fitting and/or friction-fitting manner, both on the machine-side as well as on the tool-side. Such clamping elements can be operable manually as well as mechanically, such as by means of an electric motor, pneumatic motor, hydraulic motor or similar. In particular, the clamping devices may comprise corresponding lever mechanisms, cam mechanisms or similar to generate or simply release a form fit and/or a force fit and so on between machine-side components and tool-side components.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the present punch press comprises at least a displacement device, by means of which a punching tool can be displaced preferably without a conventional traversing device to vertically move the upper tool and/or if applicable also the lower tool on the punch press, in other words especially in a very targeted manner outside of a conventional punching process or a punching movement. Preferably, the punching tool can be displaced with a horizontal displacement component on or inside the punch press to initiate, perform or finish a punching tool change. In other words, the displacement device is set up to displace a punching tool or parts thereof horizontally out of the punch press or into the punch press to hereby simplify a punching tool change on site.

A quick-change device within the meaning of the invention can be achieved advantageously, especially by means of the individual or combined devices explained here in greater detail for illustrative purposes.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the present task is also achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, in which the traversing device comprises a vertical drive for driving the upper tool, wherein the vertical drive is arranged on the top side of the frame, wherein a first drive unit of the vertical drive is arranged on a left side member of the frame and a second drive unit of the vertical drive is arranged on the right side member of the frame.

Due to the fact that the vertical drive is arranged on the top side of the frame of the punch press, the punch press is not further obstructed inside the frame, especially between frame side members, by a traversing device or by components regarding this, such as a vertical drive in particular, so that significantly improved access to the punching tool results, by means of which in turn a punching tool change on the punch press can be undertaken on site at the customer's location in a particularly favorable manner.

However, alternatively it is also possible to arrange the vertical drive, components or assemblies thereof on a bottom part of the frame if this is advantageous for structural reasons, for example.

In this case, in regard to the vertical drive, there are preferably provided at least two drive units, or more precisely, two spatially separated drive units.

To that extent, the traversing device given here has two such spatially separated drive units, between which an upper tool is arranged at least partially.

Last but not least, the punch press is hereby built very compactly compared to solutions known from prior art. Specifically the overall height of the punch press can hereby be significantly reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the present task is further achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a ram device for carrying the upper tool, wherein the punch press has two individual ram devices, between which the upper tool is arranged at least partially.

In this fourth aspect, the idea focuses on providing two smaller, individual ram devices on the punch press, instead of one solid central ram device, which as a solid component sits on the one hand above the actual upper tool and on the other blocks the installation space between the frame side members of the frame. One is hereby able to gain installation space otherwise occupied by the central ram device as an operating space or punch operating space for the present punch press. The overall height of the punch press can hereby also be reduced.

To that extent, the upper tool is not spanned by any ram device.

The two individual ram devices can be integrated structurally in a particularly inconspicuous manner in the punch press when each of the two individual ram devices is respectively arranged and guided only on one frame side member. In other words, this means that the two individual ram devices are installed in the frame side members of the present punch press.

To displaceably arrange the upper tool in relation to the lower tool in the punch press, it is appropriate if each of the two individual ram devices comprises its own adapter carriage, as will be explained further below.

By means of such adapter carriages designed within the meaning of the invention, the upper tool can be mounted in the free-standing machine in an easily replaceable manner. Preferably, such adapter carriages are also integrated at least partially in frame side members of the punch press, as will be described in more detail elsewhere.

To ensure that the individual ram devices and/or especially also adapter carriages provided independently of these are in the same vertical synchronization, it is advantageous if the vertical drive has a synchronization device by means of which the individual ram devices or the adapter carriages are synchronized in terms of their relative position to each other and their motion.

Such a synchronization device may be implemented on the punch press in diverse ways, both on the hardware as well as the software side.

It is especially advantageous when, in regard to the ram devices or the adapter carriages, the synchronization device has synchronization spindles or synchronization racks, since these can be executed in a structurally simple and very robust manner on a punch press.

The punch press can hereby be built even more compactly when each of the two individual ram devices comprises its own drive unit. If such drive units are also placed on frame side members of the punch press, the installation space otherwise required for this between the frame side members can be decreased (overall height reduction of the punch press) and/or be used for other components, such as the upper tool or similar, for example.

According to a fifth aspect, the present task is achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a ram device for carrying the upper tool, wherein the upper tool is arranged at least partially inside the ram device in such a manner that side regions of the ram device are arranged laterally next to the upper tool.

In this solution, an individual ram device continues to be used; however, this single ram device is designed in such a manner that it at least partially encloses the upper tool laterally, in other words on frame side members of the frame of the punch press, but still continues to span the upper tool in regard to its top side.

Nevertheless, the overall height can hereby be decreased since the individual ram devices are built in such a manner that the upper tool is integrated in the ram device.

In other words, the individual ram device forms a downwardly open frame part for the upper tool.

In this way, it is also advantageous if the ram device is designed in a U-shaped manner, and is open on its side facing the lower tool. In this way, the upper tool can be easily pushed into the single ram device from below.

Furthermore, it is especially appropriate if the ram device has on its interior side coupling and clamping elements for coupling and uncoupling the upper tool. Changing an upper tool can hereby be undertaken more simply on a ram device built into the punch press, as is also described elsewhere for illustrative purposes.

So that the U-frame-shaped ram device described here allows sufficient installation space for the upper tool on the side of the upper tool, it is advantageous if the side regions of the ram device comprise a guide sleeve for receiving posts of a frame side member of the frame of the punch press.

Advantageously, these guide sleeves or similar are found arranged on the right and left sides of the upper tool.

According to a sixth aspect, the present task is also achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for the vertical displacement of the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, wherein the punch press comprises a carrier device for an upper tool, wherein the carrier device contains the lower tool of the punching tool, and wherein the upper tool can be set down on the lower tool for setting up the punch press.

If the punch press comprises a carrier device with the lower tool or parts thereof, a tool change, especially an upper tool change, can be undertaken in an extremely simple manner both structurally as well as procedurally on an inherently operationally ready punch press. Carrier devices suited for this can understandably be designed on the punch press in the most diverse ways.

Advantageously, the lower tool is designed in such a way that it is at once the actual carrier device for the upper tool when removing or inserting punching tools.

According to a seventh aspect, the object of the invention is also achieved by a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for vertically moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, wherein the punch press comprises a rotatable changing table having an axis of rotation, around which a punching tool holder is rotatably mounted.

Preferably, the punching tool holder is set up for holding at least two tool packages.

Such a rotatable changing table greatly simplifies a punching tool change, especially when said table offers space for at least the punching tool to be removed from the punch press and also for a punching tool to be inserted into the punch press.

A preferred design variant provides that the rotatable changing table has a vertical axis of rotation. The changing table can hereby be executed in a structurally simple manner with a turntable, which can be

mounted in a rotationally movable manner in a relatively simple way.

Another very advantageous design variant also provides that the traversing device comprises at least two vertically displaceable adapter carriages, on which the upper tool as a whole is arranged in a couplable and decouplable manner, wherein the upper tool is arranged replaceably on the at least two vertical displaceable adapter carriages.

It is hereby advantageous if additionally or alternatively to the vertical drive, the traversing device has a synchronization device, by means of which the adapter carriages are synchronized in regard to their relative positions to each other and their motion.

For example, in regard to the adapter carriages, the synchronization device comprises synchronization spindles or synchronization racks, since these can be executed in a structurally simple and very robust manner on a punch press.

To that extent, it is presently proposed to equip a generic traversing device with vertically movable adapter carriages, wherein within the meaning of the invention such adapter carriages are preferably machine-side adapter parts, as already described above.

Preferably and in contrast to conventional traversing devices of punching presses known from prior art, the traversing device is thus at once designed as an adapter device within the meaning of the invention so that various punching tools, especially upper punching tools, can be received by one and the same punching press.

The expression “upper tool as a whole” hereby describes that not only individual cutting and punching elements or similar are replaced depending on wear, but the whole upper tool at once, which means that holding bodies for such cutting and punching elements, such as a crossmember or similar, are replaced.

Such a vertically displaceable adapter carriage is preferably provided on each frame side member to the right and left on the punch press, by means of which the upper tool is seated in a driven manner on the frame side members of the punch press.

For example, by means of suitable tool adapter parts, the upper tool can be arranged to be hung on to the at least two vertical displaceable adapter carriages, especially to be pushed horizontally into these adapter carriages.

It is understood that in this context a plurality of adapter designs is structurally implementable, so that the most diverse designs are possible for the most diverse punch press types.

To that extent, it is especially advantageous if the upper tool is replaceably arranged on the at least two vertical displaceable adapter carriages.

For practical purposes, the at least two vertical displaceable adapter carriages are operatively connected to each other by means of the upper tool coupled to them so that the upper tool can directly represent a stabilizing or stiffening crossmember element of the present traversing device. To that extent, one can hereby omit additional crossmember parts, by means of which the punch press is designed even more compactly.

To that extent, one can preferably omit an additional crossmember device completely on which a generic upper tool is normally attached, or said device can be dimensioned smaller accordingly so that between the frame side members of the punch press, one can further decrease the installation space, by means of which a punching tool change can be carried out more easily, for example.

Additionally or alternatively, decreasing additional installation space is advantageous since the overall height of the punch press can also be decreased, by means of which the present punch press is built more compactly.

An alternatively configured design variant provides that the traversing device comprises a front and/or rear crossmember, by means of which at least two vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device are fixedly connected to each other. In this alternative design variant, the traversing device and thus also the entire punch press and especially the upper tool can be designed even more rigidly, which is an advantage for example on larger span widths between frame side members of the punch press, in other words given a longer upper tool.

Especially on a corresponding design of the upper tool, the latter can be temporarily fixed firmly but detachably in a particularly stable manner to such crossmembers, especially also at least partially within an intermediate space between these crossmembers.

Furthermore, it is advantageous when the traversing device comprises at least two guide units for guiding vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device, in which each of the guide units has at least two guide column members.

One can hereby achieve particularly tilt-proof guiding of vertically movable adapter carriages.

Preferably, the present guide units are arranged to the left and right of a workspace for punching punch products.

The left and right guide units can be structurally implemented in a constructionally simple manner if the guide units directly form the left frame side member or the right frame side member of the punch press.

The two frame side members can in turn be executed in a structurally simple manner by the correspondingly configured guide column elements of the guide units.

At this point, it shall be mentioned directly that both the slide bar part as well as the rack part can be designed as pipe parts, solid material parts or similar.

To that extent, it is appropriate if the guide column elements of the punch press or the guide unit can be designed as pipe parts or solid material parts or similar.

However, it is understood that in regard to this, other geometries can be used. One can hereby think of a C-shaped part or similar for example.

As briefly mentioned already, it is advantageous if the punch press comprises a coupling device for the coupling and uncoupling, especially optionally for the tool-free coupling and uncoupling, of the punching tool in relation to the frame of the punch press, wherein the coupling and uncoupling of the punching tool can take place in a manual and/or automated manner.

Tool-free in this case means that especially no handheld tools, such as screwdrivers, wrenches or similar are utilized for changing punching tools.

Instead in this case only coupling devices or similar are operated, which are present on the punch press or on the punching tool.

In addition, it is appropriate if the traversing device comprises an upper coupling unit for coupling and uncoupling the upper tool from the vertically movable adapter carriage of the traversing device.

By means of such an upper coupling unit, one can achieve a particularly fast punching tool change at the actual deployment location of the punching press, for example when the punching press must be retooled for a new or different punch product.

This upper coupling unit may be designed in the most diverse ways. If the upper coupling unit has at least two, preferably three, movable coupling and clamping elements per vertically movable adapter carriage, the respective upper tool can enter into a particularly deep operative connection with the vertically movable adapter carriage.

Preferably, these coupling and clamping elements can be arranged, in a couplable manner with the upper tool and an uncouplable manner from the upper tool, on the respective vertically movable adapter carriage, so that the coupling and clamping elements are arranged at least partially preferably on the machine-side and thus in a loss-proof manner on the punching press.

In addition, such coupling and clamping elements must be essentially provided only on the punch press, in regard to their respective coupling and clamping mechanisms, and not especially on the respective upper tool, by means of which specifically the upper tool can be designed in a structurally very simple manner in regard to a coupling or adapter device. The upper tools can hereby be provided more cost-effectively for the present punch press.

The punch press can also be constructed more compactly, especially lower, when the upper coupling unit is arranged below a drive device for driving vertically movable adapter carriages.

Such a proposed placement of the upper coupling unit below the drive device can also be advantageous to the extent that the upper coupling unit is essentially subjected primarily only to pressure or tensile forces and less to torques, since in such a design, no lever effect is expected or if so, only a negligible lever effect.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if movable coupling and clamping elements of the upper coupling unit are arranged on a drive device, for driving vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device, on the side of the vertically movable adapter carriages facing away from the displacement unit. This means that the coupling and clamping elements are preferably placed on that side of the displaceable adapter carriage that is facing away from the drive device.

If these movable coupling and clamping elements are arranged in regard to a drive device placed on the top side of the frame, in other words on the vertically movable adapter carriages in such a manner that they are placed on the side facing away from this drive device, upper tools to be changed can be arranged in a particularly simple manner on the vertically movable adapter carriage.

Generally, the movable coupling and clamping elements of the upper coupling unit are advantageously seated by an already existing drive device on the punch press in a height-adjustable manner, especially on vertically movable adapter carriages of the present traversing device.

Advantageously, the movable coupling and clamping elements are hereby not only horizontally movable, but also preferably vertically movable, by means of which the movable coupling and clamping elements can be positioned in a particularly precise manner in relation to the upper tool in order to execute a coupling process in a quick and error-free manner, for example.

Another preferred design variant provides that the machine table of the punch press and/or the frame of the punch press comprises a lower coupling unit for coupling and uncoupling the lower tool to the machine table or from the machine table respectively. Not only the upper tool of the respective punching tool but also the lower tool of this punching tool are hereby integrated in the punch press in an easily replaceable manner.

If the lower coupling unit has lower coupling and clamping elements, wherein these lower coupling and clamping elements can be coupled to the lower tool and uncoupled from the lower tool, an overall faster punching tool change can be executed.

Furthermore, an additional advantageous design variant provides that the machine table of the punch press and/or the frame of the punch press comprises a centering device with pre- and/or main centering means to center the punching tool especially when penetrating into the punch press. By means of such a centering device, a punching tool change is achieved even more simply and more reliably on the present punch press, since the punching tool to be changed can be mounted in a more targeted manner in the punch press and on an adapter device or coupling device of the punch press.

Such a centering device allows not only error-free working for trained employees. Even untrained personnel can also perform a punching tool change in an operationally safe manner based on the centering devices, as well as the adapter device and the coupling device.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the punch press comprises a drive device for driving vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device, wherein the drive device is arranged for the vertically movable adapter carriages on the top side of the frame. Such a drive device can hereby be placed outside of an operating space or punch region of the punch press, by means of which especially a punching tool change can be performed more simply since the upper tool is essentially more accessible.

If in addition, the punch press or its traversing device is to be built in an especially compact manner, the provided drive device for the vertically movable adapter carriages can be executed by the present vertical drive for driving the upper tool.

If the drive device for the vertically movable adapter carriages is arranged on a top side of the frame, the drive device will require minimal installation space between the frame side members of the punch press, by means of which particularly good accessibility to the upper tool can be provided.

A punching tool change is hereby not only designed to be simpler, but also operationally safer since this region is readily visible on the one hand and easily accessible on the other. In this way, a new punching tool to be inserted in the punch press in the interim can be simply mounted on the vertically movable adapter carriage.

Structurally, the punch press can be further simplified if each of the vertically movable adapter carriages are assigned their own drive unit with drive means, such as a hydraulic cylinder drive, a pneumatic cylinder drive and/or an electric motor drive, or similar.

At first glance, it appears counterintuitive to assign multiple drive units, especially to each of the existing vertically movable adapter carriages since the number of drive units or drive motors hereby increases on the present punch press. However, it was recognized that with such a design variant, additional gear units or similar can be omitted, which in turn simplifies the construction of such a punch press.

If the respective drive unit with drive means is arranged on frame side members of the frame of the punch press, the drive device can generally be integrated in the punch press in a particularly space-saving and advantageous manner.

In this context, it is advantageous for the reasons already mentioned above if the respective drive with drive means is also arranged above the vertically movable adapter carriages.

Another preferred design variant provides that a traversing device of the punch press is set up for the vertical movement of the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, by means of which a tool change can take place on the punch press in a structurally very simple manner.

Another very appropriate design variant provides that the punch press comprises an automated robot device with a multi-axially moveable manipulator, which is set up to receive finished punch products on the rear side of the punch press. The punch press can hereby be operated much more effectively.

Especially due to the fact that the manipulator is moveable in a multiaxial manner in the space, one can also remove punched out punch products in a multiaxial manner from the punch operating space of the punch press so that among other things the robot device can also be easily adapted to various structural conditions.

It is understood that for loading the punch press, such a robot device can also be provided with punch products to be punched out to achieve even better automation at the punch press.

Such a loading robot device is then preferably placed on the operator side.

If applicable and given a corresponding design of the invention, one or more robot devices arranged on the rear side of the punch press can be used both to load and unload the punch press. The operator side hereby remains free for inspection tasks or similar.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, the object is also achieved by a punching tool setup system for a punch press, which comprises an adapter device with vertically movable adapter carriages for adapting changing punching tools on the punch press, a horizontally movable machine table for changing the punching tool and a carrier device, which is movable using the movable machine table, for carrying, especially for inserting and removing, an upper tool of the punching tool.

Advantageously, a punching tool setup system on a punch press is also proposed here, by means of which interim punching tool changes can be easily undertaken at the actual operating location of the punch press.

It is hereby possible to design the use of such punch presses in a significantly more flexible and cost-effective manner in regard to different punch products.

By means of the punching tool setup system proposed here, a punching tool quick change system for a punch press can be executed in a structurally very simple manner.

Such punching tool setup systems for punching presses are not known to date from prior art.

Instead, punching tools, especially also the upper tool of the punching tool, are a fixed or integral component of a punch press, which cannot just be replaced on site at a customer's location. Instead, a punch press is equipped by the plant one time with a punching tool for a certain punch product and then remains permanently in the punch press, usually over the entire production cycle or life cycle of the punch press.

Moreover, using the punching tool setup system described here, it is possible to retrofit a conventional punch press, at least if this punch press meets certain structural prerequisites.

The present punching tool setup system can be advantageously developed if the movable carrier device comprises a lower tool of the punching tool. The present punching tool setup system is hereby built in a particularly compact manner.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the punching tool setup system comprises coupling means, by means of which the punching tool can be coupled to the punch press or uncoupled from the punch press. Especially such coupling means allow a very quick punching tool change using the punching tool setup system proposed here.

In this context, it is particularly advantageous if the punching tool setup system comprises coupling means, by means of which the upper tool can be coupled to the adapter device or uncoupled from the adapter device.

Furthermore, it is no less advantageous if the punching tool setup system comprises coupling means by

means of which the lower tool can be coupled to the machine table or uncoupled from the machine table.

An advantageous development of the present punching tool setup system exists for example when the punching tool setup system comprises punching tools in which a lower tool of a punching tool and an upper tool of a punching tool can be operatively connected to each other to form a mobile change unit. It is hereby possible to insert into or remove from the respectively equipped punch press the lower tool and the upper tool as a group, in other words wholly as an entire punching tool.

According to a ninth aspect, the object of the present invention is achieved by a punching tool for punching out punch products, especially automotive components, such as instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, for a punch press, especially for a present punch press and/or for a present punching tool setup system, with a lower tool and with an upper tool, in which the lower tool and the upper tool are set up so that the upper tool can be set down on the lower tool so that the upper tool is carried by the lower tool.

Especially in setup or setup processes, the lower tool and the upper tool hereby jointly form a transport unit, by means of which the punching tool as a whole can be inserted into the punch press or removed from the punch press, by means of which such setup or setup processes can be carried out in a much easier manner.

An advantageous development can be provided if the lower tool has carrier elements for the upper tool, especially four carrier arm elements, on which the upper tool can be set when setting up the punch press.

Such carrier elements or carrier arm elements can be provided or integrated directly on the lower tool and/or on the upper tool, so that these are held in a loss-proof manner on the punching tool.

For example, such carrier elements or carrier arm elements can be attached on the lower tool and/or the upper tool in a manner where then can extend or retract, or fold out or fold in in such a manner that they can be retracted or folded in when not in use so that these carrier elements or carrier arm elements do not impede during normal punching operations of the punch press.

If during a punching tool change, the upper tool is to be set down on the lower tool, these carrier elements or carrier arm elements can be folded out or extended out of the respective lower tool and/or upper tool in such a manner that the upper tool can then be supported on the lower tool.

However, for the purposes of a punching tool change, such carrier elements or carrier arm elements or similar can also be inserted as unattached independent elements from the outside between the lower tool and the upper tool, by means of which the design of the actual punching tool can be designed even more simply. This insertion of the carrier elements or carrier arm elements can take place manually as well as mechanically.

Additionally or alternatively, it is advantageous if the upper tool has support elements, especially four support arm elements, for the lower tool, on which the upper tool can be supported on the lower tool when setting up the punch press. It is understood that carrying or supporting elements can be provided not only on the lower tool but also on the upper tool just as well to allow for a compact transport unit composed of a lower and upper tool within the meaning of the invention.

According to a tenth aspect, the object of the invention is also achieved by a method for retrofitting a punch press with a punching tool, in which the punching tool is inserted into the punch press from the operating and/or rear side of the punch press, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, and coupled to the punch press. A punch press can hereby be retrofitted in a very simple and versatile manner using various punching tools, and is accordingly adapted to the most diverse customer requests in a minimum amount of time.

According to an eleventh aspect, the object of the invention is also achieved by a method for setting up a punch press for various punching tools to manufacture various punch products of a punch press, in which a punching tool arranged in the punch press is uncoupled from the punch press and then removed, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, from the punch press, and in which then a different punching tool, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, is inserted into the punch press and coupled to the punch press. By means of such a method, punch press setups are possible for the first time outside of the plant. In particular, a punch press can be retooled very quickly to a different punching tool.

Insertion or removal of punching tools is achieved in an especially simple manner if by means of vertically movable adapter carriages of a traversing device of the punch press, an upper tool is lowered on a lower tool and set down on it so that the upper tool is carried by the lower tool.

As already described earlier or above several times, this can be supported for example by the carrier elements and/or support elements described above.

A punching tool change can be executed more quickly if the upper tool is manually and/or mechanically uncoupled from vertically movable adapter carriages of a traversing device for the vertical movement of the upper tool by means of upper coupling and clamping elements.

For example, such an uncoupling can take place by loosening a bayonet connection between the upper tool and the vertically movable adapter carriage, or by movable pin elements, or another form-fit and/or force-fit and/or friction-fit connection.

The punching tool, especially the upper tool, can be removed very simply from the punch press if the vertically movable adapter carriages travel vertically upward and are removed by the upper tool.

To that extent, it is advantageous if the vertically movable adapter carriages and the upper tool are separated from each other by means of a vertical motion of vertically movable adapter carriages.

If the lower tool is manually and/or mechanically uncoupled by means of lower coupling and clamping elements from a machine table of the punch press, and the machine table is then moved horizontally out of the punching space of the punch press, and the punching tool, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, is removed from the punching space and then transported away by the punch press, a punching tool change proves to be especially straightforward and effective, especially when the punch press is used at the customer's location.

A horizontal outward movement of the machine table can occur for example by means of a horizontal movement device with horizontally running crossmember elements. For example, these horizontally running crossmember elements are designed to be telescoping. Or they have roller devices, by means of which the punching tool can be rolled out of the punch press. It is understood that diversely designed horizontal movement devices can be used on the machine-side. For example, such a horizontal movement device can also be established by an air cushion, on which the punching tool can be removed, just to mention another possibility.

Additionally or alternatively however, a corresponding horizontal traversing device can also be introduced from the outside to the punch press.

In this context, it is also appropriate if a punching tool is delivered to the punch press and inserted by means of a horizontally movable machine table of the punch press into the punching space of the punch press. For this purpose, the machine table is advantageously mounted to the punch press or to a ground foundation in a horizontally moveable manner.

The retrofit or setup process can be further refined if the lower tool of the clamping tool is coupled by means of manual and/or mechanical lower coupling and clamping elements to a machine table of the punch press.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if vertically moveable adapter carriages traverse a traverse direction of the punch press vertically downward and are brought closer to the upper tool. One can hereby advantageously omit additional assembly aids not belonging to the punch press, such as lifting or holding devices.

For practical purposes, the upper tool is coupled by means of upper coupling and clamping elements to the vertically moveable adapter carriages and the upper tool is then lifted off the lower tool.

According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, the task is also achieved by a method for operating a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, in which the punch products are inserted from the operator side into the punch press, especially in a punch operating space, in which the punch products are being punched, and in which the punched out products are removed from the punch press, wherein the method is characterized by the fact that the punched out punch products are automatically removed on the rear side of the punch press.

The automated removal of the punched out punch products on the rear side increases the effectivity of the punch press overall since on the one hand no peripherals for the punched out punch products must be retained on the operator side, so that the tasks on the operator side can focus on the insertion of the punch products. To that extent, the tasks on the operator side are substantially simplified and can take place faster and more reliably. On the other hand, the rear side of the punch press can now be included more effectively in the task sequence, since an automated second interface for handling punch products is available there.

On the rear side of the punch press, one can achieve an especially effective handling of the punched out punch products if the punched out punch products are removed on the rear side of the punch press by means of a manipulator, which moves in a preferably multiaxial manner, of a robot device.

To that extent, the punched out punch parts can also be removed in a multiaxial manner from the punch operating space of the punch press, by means of which faster work sequences can be achieved.

Advantageously, a pivotably seated machine table is first pivoted in the direction of the operator side, preferably about a horizontal pivot axis after the punched out punch products were removed on the rear side of the punch press. One can hereby prevent collisions of the corresponding components of the punch press.

The robot device can hereby be placed behind, beside or also above the punch press for example, depending on the selected design.

If, especially due to the measures described above, a reduction of the overall height of the punch press can be achieved, this obtained overall height can be used at least partially as installation space for such a robot device.

The term “manipulator” hereby describes a robot arm that moves in a multiaxial manner.

It is understood that a punch press can be equipped with such a robot device for the loading of punch products still to be punched in order to achieve even better automation.

According to a ninth aspect of the invention, the task is also achieved by using a punch lower tool of a punching tool as an insertion and/or removal device for a punch upper tool of the punching tool for retrofitting or setting up a punch press with punching tools.

By means of this use, according to the invention, of the punch lower tool, the punch lower tool not only serves as a counter-tool for the punch upper tool in a punching process, but it also serves as a support and mounting device. A punching tool change on a punch press is hereby achieved in a particularly simple manner.

Furthermore, the punch lower tool not only serves as a carrier for products to be punched, but it can be used directly as a carrier for the punch upper tool, if the punching tool is to be inserted in or removed from the punch press.

It is understood that the features of the solutions described above or especially in the claims may also be combined if applicable to be able to implement the presently achievable advantages and effects in a correspondingly cumulative manner.

Additional features, effects and advantages of the present invention are explained by means of attached drawings and the description below, in which for illustrative purposes a punch press having a replaceable punching tool within the meaning of the invention is shown and described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a front view of a punch press having a replaceable punching tool in a normal starting position;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts another front view of the punch press depicted in FIG. 1 in a starting position for a punching tool change having a lowered traversing and adapter device and an upper tool hereby already set down on the lower tool regarding a transport position;

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a detailed view of a left vertically movable adapter carriage having an upper coupling unit for the automated coupling or uncoupling of the upper tool regarding the punch press shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a next front view of the punch press shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in a first uncoupled position with an already uncoupled upper tool and with a traverse or adapter device moved upwards again without an upper tool;

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a detailed view of a left lower coupling unit for coupling and uncoupling the lower tool regarding the punch press shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a first perspective front view of the punch press from FIGS. 1 to 5 according to the uncoupled position shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 schematically depicts another perspective front view of the punch press from FIGS. 1 to 6 with a punching tool, essentially already removed from the punch press, in the shape of a transportable tool package or a mobile changing unit consisting essentially of the upper and the lower tool of the punching tool;

FIG. 8 schematically depicts another perspective front view of the punch press from FIGS. 1 to 7 with a robot device for removing punch products on the rear side of the punch press; and

FIG. 9 schematically depicts a view of a ram device having a U-shaped main body.

The punch press 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is set up for punching out various punch products (not shown here). Such punch products, which are first machined on this punch press 1, come from the automotive sector, such as instrument panels, door interior panels and so on, but may also be other punch products. In particular, the punch press 1 is set up to replace a punching tool 2 for a punch product change so that the punch press 1 can be equipped with various punching tools 2, especially at its deployment location 3 or on site.

The present punch press 1 has a longitudinal dimension L, a height dimension H as well as a depth dimension T. Furthermore, the punch press 1 also has an operator side B, which represents the front side of the punch press 1, on which the punch press 1 is operated by an operator. Accordingly, the punch press 1 has a rear side R positioned further back opposite the operator side B.

Furthermore, the punch press 1 has a frame 4, which essentially consists of a frame bottom part 5, a frame top part 6 as well as frame side members 7 and 8, namely a left frame side member 7 and the right frame side member 8.

The frame bottom part 5 is essentially characterized by a solid frame 9, by means of which the punch press 1 stands stably on a ground foundation 10.

The frame top part 6 consists essentially of a front and a rear top flange part 12 and 13 respectively, wherein the front upper crossmember part 12 and the rear upper crossmember part 13 are firmly joined at their outer ends in each case to an upper frame 16 using a connecting part 14 and 15 respectively.

Each of the two frame side members 7 and 8 has a front and rear post 18 and 19 respectively (here only numbered for illustrative purposes regarding the left frame side member 7; see for example FIG. 6).

The front post 18 is hereby executed as a tension rod in the shape of a toothed rod section 20, while the rear post 19 is designed as a sliding rod section 21.

In any case, the frame bottom part 5 and the frame top part 6 are separated from each other and kept apart by the front and rear posts 18 and 19, and specifically in such a manner that between the frame bottom part 5 and the frame top part 6, there is a sufficiently large installation space 23 and thus ultimately also a punch operating space 24 of the punch press 1.

Furthermore, there is provided on the frame bottom part 5 a machine table 25 with which the lower tool 26 of the punching tool 2 is held in the punch press 1.

The machine table 25 is highly pivotable about a pivot axis 25A from the rear side R to insert punch products more simply into the punch press and to remove them again from the punch press 1 after a punching process.

In any case, this pivot function is fixedly integrated in the punch press 1 and in its machine table 25 respectively and not in the punching tool 2 or especially in the lower tool 26 thereof, by means of which the present change function is significantly improved.

In contrast, the upper tool 27 of the punch press 2 is held on a traversing device 28, by means of which the upper tool 27 can be moved vertically in the punch operating space 24.

Generally, this punch press 1 is now set up for the punching tool 2 to be replaced for a punch product change at the primary deployment location 3 of the punch press 1, without, as has been required to date in prior art, having to dismantle this punch press 1 and transporting it to the manufacturing plant to laboriously retool the punch press 1 there to another punching tool 2, if this even appears reasonable from an economic perspective.

For an especially simple punching tool change, the traversing device 28 is designed in this case directly as an adapter device 32 with two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31, above which the upper tool 27 as a whole is arranged in a couplable and uncouplable manner to the punch press 1.

The two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 can hereby be strictly seen as two separate ram devices.

To securely hold the upper tool 27 to the two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 or to the traversing device 28 of the punch press 1, this adapter device 32 also has in each case an adapter toothing 33 having a plurality of holding and positioning teeth 34 (numbered only for illustrative purposes).

Specifically, the upper tool 25 as a whole can be coupled or uncoupled from the two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31, which means that not only can individual punching and cutting means (not depicted here) be replaced, but the entire body 35 of the upper tool 27 is replaceably arranged directly on the traversing device 28.

The upper tool 27 fixedly but replaceably coupled in this way to the traversing device 28 connects among other things the two vertically movable adapter carriages 30 and 31 within the meaning of a crossmember main part 36, by means of which the upper tool 27 gives the two adapter carriages 30 and 31 a stable connection.

To further stiffen the punch press 1, especially the traversing device 28, or to cross-connect the left adapter carriage 30 to the right adapter carriage 31 when the upper tool 27 is uncoupled, the traversing device 28 also has a front crossmember secondary part 37 and a rear crossmember secondary part 38.

The two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31, guided vertically by means of the traversing device 28, are positioned on the punch press 1 wherein the traversing device 28 has for this purpose a left guide unit 42 to vertically guide the left adapter carriage 30 as well as a right guide unit 43 to vertically guide the right adapter carriage 31.

In this embodiment, the two guide units 42 and 43 are each formed by guide post elements (not explicitly numbered here again) of the left frame side member 7 or the right frame side member 8 in the shape of posts 18 and 19 respectively.

In this way and in regard to its two guide units, the traversing unit 28 is executed in a structurally simple manner directly by the frame side members 7 and 8 of the frame 4, by means of which the punch press 1 is built even more compactly overall.

For the vertical actuation of the two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 and to that extent also the upper tool 27, the traversing device 28 advantageously comprises a corresponding vertical drive 50, wherein this vertical drive 50 is advantageously arranged on the frame upper side 51, by means of which the vertical drive 50 is arranged above and especially also outside of the punch operating space 24.

This alone improves already good accessibility to the machine installation space 23 in general and specifically to the punch operating space 24, so that a punching tool change can be undertaken even more favorably on the punch press 1 and specifically at the deployment location 3.

The vertical drive 50 of the traversing device 28 hereby comprises a first drive unit 52 for actuating the left adapter carriage 30 as well as a second drive unit 53 for actuating the right adapter carriage 31.

To that extent, this vertical drive with its two drive units 52 and 53 at least partially embodies an advantageously placed drive device 55 for driving the vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 respectively.

In this way, the drive unit 55 is also placed on the frame upper side 51 of the punch press 1.

More specifically, the drive device 55 is also arranged above the two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 so that especially the two drive units 52 and 53 of the vertical drive 50 are located above the machine installation space 23 or especially the punch operating space 24.

The two vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31 or the upper tool 27 temporarily fixed to it can hereby be moved vertically upward and downward using the two drive units 52 and 53.

To that extent, the first vertically moveable adapter carriage 30 is assigned its own drive unit 52 and the second vertically moveable adapter carriage 31 is assigned its own drive unit 53.

In this embodiment, the two drive units 52 and 53 are each equipped with a hydraulic cylinder drive 56 (numbered here only for illustrative purposes; see FIG. 1), whose cylinder part 57 is firmly attached in the respective connection part 14 or 15 of the upper frame 16 and the frame top part 6 respectively, wherein the piston part 58 of the hydraulic cylinder drive 56 can be extended downward out of the cylinder part 57 or retracted upwards into the cylinder part 57 (see especially FIG. 6).

The end 59, facing away from the cylinder part 57, of the respective piston part 58 is hereby connected to the left or right adapter carriages 30 and 31 respectively, so that by actuating the hydraulic cylinder drive 56, the adapter carriages 30 and 31 can be moved downward or upward within the frame 4 of the punch press 1.

To that extent, the present punch press 1 has an extremely compactly built traversing device 28 or drive device 55, which can be ideally housed entirely in the frame side members 7 and 8 of the punch press 1.

In particular, by this proposed design, especially in regard to the drive device 55, one can omit a ram—as is actually always provided in conventional punch presses. This results in a much more generously configured machine installation space 23 or punch operating space 24 respectively, since these are not further obstructed by a hitherto conventional ram.

The accessibility of the punch operating space 24, especially when inserting a punching tool 2 into the punch press 1 or removing a punching tool 2 from the punch press 1 is again significantly improved by the advantageous machine table 25, independently of the other features of the invention, since the machine table 25 can be moved horizontally for changing the punching tool 2.

In other words, this means that the machine table 25 can be displaced toward or, in relation to a horizontal displacement plane 62, at least partially toward operator side B out of the machine installation space 23 and the punch operating space 2 respectively, as one can readily see especially according to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 7.

So that the machine table 25 can be moved along the horizontal displacement plane 62, there is provided on the frame bottom part 5 a horizontal traversing device 65, which comprises in this embodiment guide carriage parts 67 guided in guide rail parts 66.

Furthermore, the horizontal traversing device 65 in this embodiment comprises two pedestal parts 68 (numbered here only for illustrative purposes; see FIG. 7), by means of which the machine table 25 pulled out of the punch press 1 can also be supported in relation to the ground foundation 10. The pedestal parts 68 can hereby have corresponding casters (not depicted here) or sliding feet 69, which are guided in a slide-bearing manner in complementary slide tracks (not depicted here) recessed in the ground foundation 10.

In any case, by means of this horizontally moveable machine table 25 here, the accessibility to the entire punching tool 2 is significantly improved when changing punching tools.

However, not only the accessibility to the punching tool 2 per se proves to be extremely advantageous, but also the insertion or removal of the punching tool 2 in relation to the punch press 1 itself, since there is an access here that is kept especially component-free.

Furthermore, the punch press 1 is characterized also by a coupling device 75 for the coupling and uncoupling of the punching tool 2 in relation to the punch press 1 or in relation to the frame 4 of the punch press 1.

With this coupling device 75, it is extremely appropriate that for coupling and uncoupling the punching tool 2 or the lower tool 26 and the upper tool 27 preferably no handheld tool is required, by means of which a punching tool change is again significantly simplified.

It hereby makes no difference whether coupling or uncoupling of the punching tool 2 occurs in a manual or automated manner, wherein a combination of manual and automated coupling or uncoupling is also possible.

In the present embodiment, the coupling device 75 has an upper coupling unit 76 for coupling and uncoupling the upper tool 27 to or from the vertically moveable adapter carriages 30 and 31. The upper coupling unit 76 is essentially shown and described for illustrative purposes in relation to the left adapter carriage 30.

According to the embodiment shown here in FIGS. 1 to 7, the upper coupling unit 76 comprises upper coupling means 77 having at least two displaceable coupling and spanning elements 78A and 78B, which can be seen schematically, and more clearly especially according to the depiction according to FIG. 3.

Each of the coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B hereby has a displaceable pin element 79 (numbered here only for illustrative purposes), which can be moved out of a pin bearing housing 80 (also numbered only for illustrative purposes) and into the machine installation space 23 or the punch operating space 24 to detachably fix the upper tool 27 to the respective adapter carriage 30 or 31.

The coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B are hereby arranged below the adapter toothing 33 of the adapter device 32 in such a manner that especially for pin elements 79, extended out of the pin bearing housings 80, there is between the adapter toothing 33 and the pin element 79 altogether a coupling or clamping space 81, in which a shoulder part section 82 (see FIG. 2) of the upper tool 27 or its body is gripped or clamped, so that the upper tool is detachably fixed in a reliable manner to the adapter carriages 30 and 31 on the left and right side each.

According to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 3, one can also readily see that between the individual holding and positioning teeth 34, receiving gaps 84 are also present, in which additional rib elements 85 of the upper tool 27 can engage to temporarily connect the upper tool 27 more deeply with the respective adapter carriages 30 and 31.

These rib elements 85 are located directly above the shoulder part section 82 of the body 35 of the upper tool 27.

In any case, the respective pin element 79 of the coupling device 75 is not only horizontally displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal dimension L in the machine installation space 23 or the punch operating space 24, but it is also arranged on the punch press 1 so as to be vertically moveable by means of adapter carriages 30 and 31 of the adapter device 32 in the direction of the vertical dimension H, i.e., in other words also height-adjustable in relation to the upper tool 27 or the machine installation space 23 or the punch operating space 24.

The moveable coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B can hereby be positioned in an especially precise manner in relation to the respective shoulder part section 82 or the rib elements 85 of the upper tool 27, so that after inserting a punching tool 2 into the punch press 1, a coupling of the upper tool 27 to the punch press 1 can be easily undertaken.

Another reason for the problem-free interaction of the coupling device 75 or components thereof with the upper tool 27 is also that the upper coupling unit 76 of the coupling device 75 is arranged below the drive device 55 or its respective hydraulic cylinder drive 56, so that an interaction of coupling and clamping elements 78A or 78B with the upper tool 27 is made possible in a problem-free manner.

Another especially major advantage is that both the respective coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B as well as the respective drive units 52 or 53 are arranged near the respective frame side members 7 or 8, by means of which only minor lever arms result and thus when punching, only decreased torques result on the coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B. Corresponding loads on the punch press 1 are hereby easily manageable.

In particular, the coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B of the upper coupling unit 76 and the drive units 52 and 53 or hydraulic cylinder drives 56 of the drive device 55 are essentially well placed in the respective frame side member 7 and 8, or within or near a related, vertically running central frame side member plane 87.

Furthermore, the moveable coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B are arranged on a side 87, facing away from the drive device 55, of the adapter carriage 30 or 31 on the vertically movable adapter carriages 30 or 31. The respective adapter carriage 30 or 31 with its adapter toothing 33 can hereby be set on the left or right shoulder part section 82 of the upper tool 27, and subsequently the coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78B or their respective pin element 79 can be moved under the respective shoulder part section 82 and hereby grip behind and simultaneously clamp the respective shoulder part section 82 within the corresponding coupling or clamping space 81 on the left and right adapter carriage 30 or 31, so that the upper tool 27 is securely but detachably fixed on the adapter device 32 and thus also on the traversing device 28.

In order to now similarly fix the lower tool 26 temporarily in a secure but detachable manner, especially on the machine table 25, the coupling device in this embodiment also has in regard to the machine table 25 a lower coupling unit 90 for coupling and uncoupling the lower tool 26 in relation to the machine table 25.

The lower coupling unit 90 hereby has lower coupling means 91 with also displaceable coupling and clamping elements 92A and 92B, which each comprise pin elements 94 movably seated in a pin bearing housing 93.

By means of these lower coupling and clamping elements 92A and 92B, the lower coupling unit 90 can interact with the lower tool 26 in such a manner that this lower tool 26 can be temporarily coupled to the machine table 25, but can also simply be uncoupled from the machine table 25 for a punching tool change.

The coupling and clamping elements 92A and 92B hereby happen to have these lower coupling means 91 in the form of movable pin elements 94.

So that specifically the lower tool 26 can be inserted, especially using the horizontally movable machine table 25, for example without tilting and thus reliably into the punch press 1, the punch press 1 has a corresponding centering device 97 especially with pre-centering means 98, which are arranged in this embodiment on both sides of the machine table 25.

More specifically, this centering device 97 comprises, on the punching tool insertion side or in this case on the operator side B, rearward tapering pre-centering means 98 in the form of a left guide element 99 arranged on the left side of the machine table 25 as well as a corresponding right guiding element 100 arranged on the right side of the machine table 25.

Both guide elements 99 and 100 each have a guide and centering surface 101 (numbered here only for illustrative purposes; see FIG. 5) running diagonally to the punch operating space 24, wherein the centering and guide surfaces 101 of the left guide element 99 and the right guide element 100 form in their interaction an insertion lane 102 tapering in the direction of the punch operating space 24.

In addition, the centering device 97 also comprises main centering means 105, which are arranged along the continuing insertion lane 102 behind the pre-centering means 98 in a right- and left-flanking manner.

These main centering means 105 are characterized at least in this embodiment essentially by roller and slide elements 106, which are carried by vertical axis elements 107 (see FIG. 5).

By means of the centering device 97 provided here, during a punching tool change or similar, a punching tool 2 to be inserted in the punch press 1 can be oriented precisely on the machine table 25 especially by means of its lower tool 26, so that a coupling of the punching tool 2 can occur on the punch press 1 in the most error-free and precise manner possible.

The insertion or removal of a punching tool 2 can once again be executed much more simply on the present punch press 1, since the lower tool 26 in this embodiment is at once a carrier device 110 for the upper tool 27, as one can specifically according to the depiction according to FIG. 7.

This means that the upper tool 27 is simply set down on the lower tool 26, by means of which an easily insertable or removable transportable tool package 111 or a mobile change unit 112 is advantageously available.

So that the lower tool 26 and the upper tool 27 can be connected in a defined manner with each other to the transportable tool package 111 or the mobile change unit 112, the lower tool 26 has in this embodiment four carrier arm elements 113 (numbered here only for illustrative purposes), on which the upper tool 27 can be set down.

In addition, the upper tool 27 also has in this embodiment four support arm elements 114 (here also only numbered for illustrative purposes), by means of which the upper tool 27 can be supported by the lower tool 26 during the punching tool change.

At this point, it shall be mentioned that the carrier arm elements 113 or support arm elements 114 shown here for illustrative purposes can be executed in various ways.

For example, they may comprise additional locking means (not shown) by means of which the lower tool 26 and the upper tool 27 of the transportable tool packages 111 or the mobile change unit 112 can be firmly, but detachably, connected temporarily to each other to hereby reduce the risk of accidents when setting up the punching press 1 or when transporting the punching tool 2.

To that extent, the lower tool 26, in addition to the horizontally displaceable machine table 25, can be utilized in a structurally simple manner at once as an expanded insertion and/or removal device 115 for the upper tool 27, by means of which a punching tool change can be designed even more simply.

In this context, it is also extremely advantageous that the lower tool 26 can also function as a storage or temporary storage device (not numbered again) for the upper tool 27, if the entire punching tool 2 is to be temporarily stored as a transportable tool package 111 or as a mobile change unit 112.

Within the meaning of the invention, according to an additional aspect, a punching tool retooling system 120 is achieved in this case for or on a punch press 1, by means of which a punching tool change can be undertaken directly at a deployment location 3 in an uncomplicated manner and thus very quickly.

In this embodiment, the punching tool retooling system 120 is essentially characterized by the adapter device 32, the coupling device 75, the horizontally movable machine table 25 as well as the carrier device 110.

According to the depiction of FIG. 1, the present punch press 1 is also shown in a normal starting position, i.e., the traversing device 28 or the adapter device 32 are moved up to just under the upper frame 16 of the frame top part 6. In other words, the traversing device 28 or the adapter device 32 and thus also the upper tool 27 are located in an uppermost position within the punch press 1 and especially within the machine installation space 23. In this starting position, the punch press 1 can be loaded with a punch product to be punched or an already punched punch product is removed from the punch press 1. To this end, the machine table 25 can also be pivoted if needed about its pivot axis 25A so that access is substantially simplified especially to the lower tool 26.

According to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 2, the traversing device 28 or the adapter device 32 can be moved so far downward in the direction of the machine table 25 that the upper tool can be put down, in a disconnected state on the lower tool 26 and within the meaning of the invention can also be disconnected. More specifically, the upper tool 27 is supported with its support arm elements 114 on the carrier arm elements 113 of the lower tool 26, so that already at this point in time the lower tool 26 functions as a carrier device 110 for the upper tool 27. Subsequently, the upper coupling unit 76 is actuated in such a manner that front and rear upper coupling and clamping elements 78A and 78A on the adapter carriages 30 and 31 are uncoupled from the upper tool 27 (cf. FIG. 3), so that the traversing device 28 or the adapter device 32 can be moved upward again in the direction of the frame top part 6 without the upper tool 27. The adapter toothing 33 is hereby detached and removed from the upper tool 27, by means of which the upper tool 27 is held, according to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 4, only by the lower tool 26 as a function of the carrier device 110 in the punch press 1. The lower tool 26 and the upper tool 27 hereby already form the transportable tool package 111 or the mobile change unit 112.

At the same time as the uncoupling of the upper coupling unit 76, or also first afterward, the lower coupling unit 90 (cf. FIG. 5) is actuated such that corresponding front lower coupling and clamping elements 92A and 92B also uncouple from the lower tool 26, by the additional pin elements 94 being retracted into the respective other pin bearing housings 93. It follows from this that the lower tool 26 is also uncoupled from the punch press 1 in such a manner that it can be removed from the machine installation space 23.

According to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 6, the punch press 1 is shown again in a perspective view regarding its situation from FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the upper tool 27 is set down on the lower tool 26, and the upper tool 27 is thereby already uncoupled by means of the upper coupling unit 76 from the punch press 1.

According to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 7, the horizontally movable machine table 25 along with the transportable tool package 111 or the mobile change unit 112 is displaced forward out of the machine installation space 23 to the operator side B. To that extent, both the lower tool 26 as well as the upper tool 27 are now fully uncoupled by means of the coupling device 75 of the punch press 1 and stand free as a transportable tool package 111 or as a mobile change unit 112 on the horizontally movable machine table 25. More specifically, the transportable tool package 111 or the mobile change unit 112 composed of the lower tool 26 and the upper tool 27 are ready for pickup in front of the punch press 1 or its machine installation space 23.

As soon as the horizontally machine table 25 is free, a different punching tool 2 can be placed there and inserted again in the punch press 1 or in its machine installation space 23 by means of the horizontally movable machine table 25.

A punching tool change within the meaning of the present invention has hereby then taken place at the deployment location 3 of the punch press 1.

Additionally or alternatively to the earlier described pin elements 79 or 94 of the coupling device 75, manual screw connections or other hydraulic or preferably electrically operated wedge clamping elements (not shown here) may also be provided.

In addition, the present punch press 1 is also characterized by a variable layout in regard to the electrical and pneumatic and/or hydraulic units 125 and 126, wherein the electrical unit 126 according to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 1 is arranged for illustrative purposes on the right side of the punch press 1 and the pneumatic and/or hydraulic unit 126 (only shown in a concealed manner) are located behind the electrical unit 125 on the rear side R of the punch press.

However, the electrical unit 125 and the pneumatic and/or the hydraulic unit 126 can also be arranged in a reversed manner, in regard to operator side B and the rear side R, on the right side or alternatively also on the left side of the punch press 1.

Another possibility consists of one of the units 125 and 126 being arranged on the rear side R and the other unit 125 or 126 being provided either to the left or right on the punch press 1.

Or both units 125 and 126 can also be placed on the rear side R.

The respective media coupling regarding the electrical unit 125 or the pneumatic and/or hydraulic unit 126 occurs via a bulkhead plate, so that these units 125 and 126 can be placed quickly and problem-free in the most diverse deployment locations of the punch press 1 at the designated connection points of the punch press 1.

Just by these various arrangement possibilities alone mentioned for illustrative purposes, the punch press 1 has a very high variability in regard to the layout and the punching press 1 is correspondingly flexibly configurable, by means of which the punch press 1 can be adapted problem-free in a modular manner to the most diverse deployment location conditions or customer requests.

In addition, this variable layout as well as the overall generous configuration of the machine installation space 23 or the punch operating space 24 offer especially good accessibility both from the operator side B as well as from the rear side. For example, inserting diverse punch products from the front, in other words from the operator side B, is possible, wherein a removal of the punched punch products can also occur problem-free from the rear, in other words from rear side R.

If applicable, the insertion and the removal of punch products can also occur using a robot mechanism.

It is especially advantageous that there is no conventional upper ram (not shown here) on the punch press 1, as is the case especially in punch presses to date or similar, by means of which in this case however the earlier described advantages are achievable on the punch press 1, such as a substantially larger machine installation space 23 or punch operating space 24 with significantly improved accessibility, so that this additional installation space can be used in an especially advantageous manner for the adapter device 32 or the coupling device 75 and overall for the punching tool setup system 120.

According to the depiction according to FIG. 8, the punch press 1 is also shown in combination with an automated removal device (not numbered separately) in the form of a robot device 127 having a multi-axially movable manipulator 128, by means of which finished punched out punch products can be removed from the rear side R of the punch press 1.

In this depiction, the robot device 127 is arranged laterally behind the punch press. However, based on its multi-axially movable manipulator 128, it can also be placed at other locations in the region of the rear side R of the punch press 1.

Alternatively, the present punch press 1 can also be equipped with a modified ram device 130, as this is depicted according to the depiction pursuant to FIG. 9.

This ram device 130 has a main body 131 designed in a U-shape, which has a cover element 132 and on its lateral ends 133 and 134 as side regions a leg element 135 or 136.

The leg elements 135 and 136 hereby extend at right angles downward from the cover element 132.

The main body 131 designed in a U-shape can hereby be designed in various ways, for example as a cast component, or like in this embodiment as a weld design composed of individual profile elements.

The main body 131 structured in this way offers a tool receiving space 137, in which the whole or part, for example two-thirds, of the upper tool 27 can be arranged.

The lateral leg elements 135 or 136 hereby laterally enclose the whole or some of the upper tool 27, by means of which the upper tool 27 can be placed on the punch press 1 in a space-saving manner within the ram device 130.

In the installed state, the ram device 130 is open on its lower side 138 in the direction of the lower tool 26 of the punch press 1, to that extent also of the tool receiving space 137.

The lateral leg elements 135 or 136 hereby comprise guide units 42 or 43 for guiding the punch press 1 on posts 18 or 19, wherein the guide units 42 or 43 here also comprise guide sleeves 139 (numbered only for illustrative purposes).

The previously already described coupling means 76 and 77 are also found in the tool receiving space 137 on the lateral leg elements 135 or 136, so that the upper tool 27 can be coupled within the meaning of the invention to the ram device 130, but also be uncoupled again by the ram device 130.

At this point, it shall be pointed out once again that features of the solutions described previously or in the claims and/or drawings may also be combined if applicable to implement or achieve features, effects and advantages of the present invention in a corresponding cumulative manner.

It is understood that the embodiment described above only involves a first design of the punch press according to the invention. To that extent, the design of the invention is not limited to this embodiment shown for illustrative purposes.

All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as critical to the invention to the extent they are novel individually or in combination with each other in relation to prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS USED

-   1 Punch press -   2 Punching tool -   3 Deployment location or on site -   4 Frame -   5 Frame bottom part -   6 Frame top part -   7 Left frame side member -   8 Right frame side member -   9 Frame -   10 Ground foundation -   12 Front top flange part -   13 Rear top flange part -   14 Left connection part -   15 Right connection part -   16 Upper frame -   18 Front post -   19 Rear post -   20 Rack part -   21 Slide bar part -   23 Machine installation space -   24 Punch operating space -   25 Horizontally movable machine table -   25A Pivot axis -   26 Lower tool -   27 Upper tool -   28 Traversing device -   30 Left adapter carriage or right ram device -   31 Right adapter carriage or left ram device -   32 Adapter device -   33 Adapter toothing -   34 Holding and positioning teeth -   35 Body -   36 Crossmember main part -   37 Front crossmember secondary part -   38 Rear crossmember secondary part -   42 Left guide unit -   43 Right guide unit -   50 Vertical drive -   51 Frame upper side -   52 First drive unit -   53 Second drive unit -   55 Drive device -   56 Hydraulic cylinder drives -   57 Cylinder part -   58 Piston part -   59 End facing away -   62 Horizontal displacement plane -   65 Horizontal traversing device -   66 Guide track parts -   67 Guide carriage parts -   68 Pedestal parts -   69 Sliding feet -   75 Coupling device -   76 Upper coupling unit -   77 Upper coupling unit -   78A Front upper coupling and clamping element -   78B Rear upper coupling and clamping element -   79 Pin elements -   80 Pin bearing housing -   81 Coupling or clamping space -   82 Shoulder part section -   84 Receiving gaps -   85 Rib elements -   87 Frame side part plane -   88 Side facing away -   90 Lower coupling unit -   91 Lower coupling unit -   92A Front bottom coupling and clamping element -   92B Rear bottom coupling and clamping element -   93 Other pin bearing housings -   94 Other pin elements -   97 Centering device -   98 Pre-centering means -   99 Left guide element -   100 Right guide element -   101 Centering and guide surfaces -   102 Tapering insertion lane -   105 Main centering means -   106 Roller and sliding elements -   107 Vertical axis elements -   110 Carrier device -   111 Transportable tool package -   112 Mobile change unit -   113 Carrier arm elements -   114 Support arm elements -   115 Insertion and/or removal device or storage or interim storage     device -   120 Punching tool setup system -   125 Electrical unit -   126 Pneumatic and/or hydraulic unit -   130 Ram device -   131 U-shaped main body -   132 Cover element -   133 Left lateral end -   134 Right lateral end -   135 Left leg element -   136 Right leg element -   137 Tool receiving space -   138 Bottom side -   139 Guide sleeves -   L Longitudinal dimension -   H Height dimension -   T Depth dimension -   B Operator side -   R Rear side 

1. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, characterized in that the punch press, especially the punching tool, the machine table and the traversing device are set up to replace the punching tool for a punching tool change to retool the punch press to new punch products to be punched.
 2. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, characterized in that the punch press has a punching tool setup system, by means of which the punch press can be retrofitted, retooled or dismantled in regard to a punching tool.
 3. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for moving the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, in which the traversing device comprises a vertical drive for driving the upper tool, characterized in that the vertical drive is arranged on the frame upper side, wherein a first drive unit of the vertical drive is arranged on a left frame side member and a second drive unit of the vertical drive is arranged on a right frame side member.
 4. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a ram device for carrying the upper tool, characterized in that the punch press has two individual ram devices, between which the upper tool is at least partially arranged.
 5. Punch press according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the two individual ram devices is arranged and guided in each case on only one frame side member.
 6. Punch press according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the two individual ram devices comprises its own adapter carriage.
 7. Punch press according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the two individual ram devices comprises its own drive unit.
 8. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a ram device for carrying the upper tool, characterized in that the upper tool is arranged at least partially inside the ram device in such a manner that side regions of the ram device are arranged laterally next to the upper tool.
 9. Punch press according to claim 8, characterized in that the ram device is designed in a U-shape and is open on its side facing the lower tool.
 10. Punch press according to claim 8, characterized in that the ram device has on its interior side coupling and clamping elements for coupling and uncoupling the upper tool.
 11. Punch press according to claim 8, characterized in that the side regions of the ram device comprise a guide sleeve for receiving posts of a frame side member of the frame of the punch press.
 12. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for the vertical movement of the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, characterized in that the punch press comprises a carrier device for an upper tool, wherein the carrier device has the lower tool of the punching tool, and wherein the upper tool can be set down on the lower tool for setting up the punch press.
 13. Punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, with a frame, with a punching tool comprising a lower tool and an upper tool, with a machine table for holding the lower tool, and with a traversing device for the vertical movement of the upper tool in relation to the lower tool, characterized in that the punch press comprises a rotatable changing table with an axis of rotation, about which a punching tool holder is rotatably seated.
 14. Punch press according to claim 13, characterized in that the rotatable changing table has a vertical axis of rotation.
 15. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device comprises at least two vertically movable adapter carriages on which the upper tool is arranged in its entirety in a couplable and uncouplable manner, wherein the upper tool is replaceably arranged on the at least two vertically movable adapter carriages.
 16. Punch press according to claim 15, characterized in that the at least two vertically movable adapter carriages are operatively connected to each other by means of the upper tool coupled to them.
 17. Punch press according to claim 15, characterized in that a first one of the vertically movable adapter carriages is arranged in a vertically movable manner on a left frame side member of the punch press and a second one of the vertically movable adapter carriages is arranged in a vertically movable manner on a right frame side member of the punch press.
 18. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device comprises a front and/or a rear crossmember, by means of which at least two vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device are firmly connected to each other.
 19. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device comprises a synchronization device for ram devices of the punch press and/or adapter carriages, wherein especially the synchronization device comprises a rack part.
 20. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device comprises at least two guide units for guiding vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device, in which each of the guide units has at least two guide column elements, wherein especially one of these guide column elements comprises a slide bar part and another of these guide column elements comprises a rack part.
 21. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that the punch press comprises a coupling device for the coupling and uncoupling, especially for the tool-free coupling and uncoupling, of the punching tool in relation to the frame of the punch press, wherein the coupling and uncoupling of the punching tool can take place in a manual and/or automated manner.
 22. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device comprises an upper coupling unit for the coupling and uncoupling of the upper tool on or from vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device.
 23. Punch press according to claim 22, characterized in that the upper coupling unit has at least two, preferably three, movable coupling and clamping elements per vertically movable adapter carriage, wherein especially these movable coupling and clamping elements are arranged on the respective vertically movable adapter carriage in a manner to be couplable to the upper tool and uncouplable from the upper tool.
 24. Punch press according to claim 22, characterized in that the upper coupling unit is arranged below a drive device for driving vertically movable adapter carriages.
 25. Punch press according to claim 22, characterized in that movable coupling and clamping elements of the upper coupling unit are arranged on a side of the vertically movable adapter carriages, said side facing away from a drive device for driving vertically movable adapter carriages of the traversing device.
 26. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that the machine table of the punch press and/or the frame of the punch press comprises a lower coupling unit for coupling and uncoupling the lower tool to the machine table and from the machine table respectively.
 27. Punch press according to claim 26, characterized in that the lower coupling unit has lower coupling and clamping elements, wherein these lower coupling and clamping elements can be coupled to the lower tool and uncoupled from the lower tool.
 28. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that the machine table of the punch press and/or the frame of the punch press comprise a centering device with pre-centering and/or main centering means to center the punching tool especially during insertion into the punch press.
 29. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that the punch press comprises a drive device for driving vertically movable adapter carriages of a traversing device, wherein the drive device for the vertically movable adapter carriages is arranged on a frame upper side.
 30. Punch press according to claim 29, characterized in that the drive device is arranged above the vertically movable adapter carriages.
 31. Punch press according to claim 29, characterized in that each of the vertically movable adapter carriages is assigned its own drive unit with drive means, such as a hydraulic cylinder drive, a pneumatic cylinder drive and/or an electrical motor drive or similar.
 32. Punch press according to claim 31, characterized in that the respective drive unit with drive means is arranged on frame side members of the frame of the punch press, especially on guide column elements for guiding vertically movable adapter carriages.
 33. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that a traversing device of the punch press is set up for vertically moving the upper tool In relation to the lower tool.
 34. Punch press according to claim 1, characterized in that the punch press comprises an automated robot device having a multi-axially movable manipulator, which is set up for removing finished punched punch products on the rear side of the punch press.
 35. Punching tool setup system for a punch press, especially according to one of the preceding claims, which comprises an adapter device having vertically movable adapter carriages for the adapting of changing punching tools to the punch press, a horizontally movable machine table for changing the punching tool, and a carrier device, which is movable with the movable machine table, for carrying, especially for inserting and removing, an upper tool of the punching tool.
 36. Punching tool setup system according to claim 35, characterized in that the movable carrier device comprises a lower tool of the punching tool.
 37. Punching tool setup system according to claim 35, characterized in that the punching tool setup system comprises coupling means, by means of which the punching tool can be coupled to the punch press or uncoupled from the punch press, especially by means of which the upper tool can be coupled to the adapter device or uncoupled from the adapter device, and especially by means of which the lower tool can be coupled to the machine table or be uncoupled from the machine table.
 38. Punching tool setup system according to claim 35, characterized in that the punching tool setup system comprises punching tools, in which a lower tool of a punching tool and an upper tool of a punching tool can be operatively connected to form a mobile change unit.
 39. Punching tool for punching out punch products, especially automotive components, such as instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, for a punch press, especially for a punch press and/or for a punching tool setup system according to one of the preceding claims, having a lower tool and having an upper tool, in which the lower tool and the upper tool are set up such that the upper tool can be set down on the lower tool, so that the upper tool is carried by the lower tool.
 40. Punching tool according to claim 39, characterized in that the lower tool has carrier elements, especially four carrier arm elements, for the upper tool, on which the upper tool can be set down when setting up the punch press, and/or the upper tool has support elements, especially four support arm elements, for the lower tool, on which the upper tool can be supported on the lower tool when setting up the punch press.
 41. Method for retrofitting a punch press with a punching tool in which the punching tool is inserted into the punch press from the operator and/or rear side (B, R) of the punch press, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, and coupled to the punch press.
 42. Method for setting up a punch press for various punching tools to produce various punch products on the punch press, in which a punching tool arranged in the punch press is uncoupled from the punch press and then removed from the punch press, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, and in which another punching tool is then inserted, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, into the punch press and is coupled to the punch press.
 43. Method according to claim 42, in which by means of vertically movable adapter carriages of a traversing device of the punch press (1), an upper tool is lowered on to a lower tool and is set down on it so that the upper tool is carried by the lower tool.
 44. Method according to claim 42, in which the upper tool is manually and/or mechanically uncoupled by means of upper coupling and clamping elements of vertically movable adapter carriages of a traversing device for the vertical movement of the upper tool.
 45. Method according to claim 44, in which the vertically movable adapter carriages move vertically upward and are removed by the upper tool.
 46. Method according to claim 42, in which the lower tool is uncoupled manually and/or mechanically from a machine table of the punch press by means of lower coupling and clamping elements, and in which subsequently the machine table is moved horizontally out of the punching space of the punch press and the punching tool is carried out of the punching space, preferably as a transportable tool package consisting of a lower and upper tool, and transported away afterward by the punch press.
 47. Method according to claim 4, in which a punching tool is delivered to the punch press and is inserted by means of a horizontally movable machine table of the punch press into the punching space of the punch press.
 48. Method for operating a punch press for punching out punch products, such as automotive components, especially instrument panels, door interior panels or similar, in which the punch products are inserted from the operator side into the punch press, especially into a punch operating space, in which the punch products are punched, and in which the punched out products are taken out of the punch press, characterized in that the punched out punch products are removed in an automated manner on the rear side of the punch press.
 49. Method according to claim 48, characterized in that the punched out punch products are removed on the rear side of the punch press by means of a manipulator, which preferably moves in a multiaxial manner in the space, of a robot device.
 50. Method according to claim 48, characterized in that a pivotably mounted machine table only pivots in the direction of the operator side, preferably about a horizontal pivot axis, after the punched out punch products were removed on the rear side of the punch press.
 51. Use of a punch lower tool of a punching tool as an insertion and/or removal device for a punch upper tool of the punching tool when retrofitting or setting up a punch press with punching tools. 